Aboriginal children in Alice Springs who are impacted by family violence will get more support with the launch of a specialist Tangentyere Council program today.
The Domestic Violence Specialist Children’s Service, launched by Minister for Women’s Policy Bess Price, will provide support to young people aged 12 to 17 who are living with family and domestic violence.
Tangentyere Council CEO Walter Shaw said the specialist children’s service will complement the successful work of the Family Violence Prevention Program.
“Tangentyere is proactive in developing and implementing programs that increase safety on town camps and in the wider community,” Mr Shaw said.
“Our Family Violence Program has developed successful strategies to make our communities safer places.
“Town Camp women and men have been trained in identifying family violence and the impacts of violence on women, children, men and their wider community.
“The Family Violence Program has created resources such as help cards, safety plan guides, signs and posters that support anti violence messages and is developing an engagement strategy that has the long term aim of changing attitudes to violence.
“The new Domestic Violence Specialist Children’s service is an extension of these activities and will give identified young people the skills they need to act safe, be safe and develop healthy relationships.
“Empowering young people and developing self esteem will help break the cycle of violence that faces some of these children.
“Alice Springs Town Campers say No to Family and Domestic Violence and programs such as these give us the tools to live in safety and help our family, friends and neighbours to be safe too.”
Mr Shaw thanked the NT and Federal Governments for their ongoing support for the Tangentyere Family Violence Program.
July 11, 2016
Kitana and Connie Shaw say Tangentyere's Domestic Violence Children's Specialist program is giving them the tools and self confidence to say not to violence.